Work Text:
Yue spends a lot of time in the palace, where she has the chance to sit, recline or lie down, so it’s sometimes easy to forget – even for herself – that she has scoliosis and chronic pain.
But then, whenever there is an occasion where she has to walk or stand a lot, she is hit with horrible, undeniable pain.
It actually takes a while for her to figure out this isn’t the norm, because she can’t remember a time where it was different and, if it was a health problem, surely the spirit water would have healed it? But the spirit water can’t help. It’s not an injury, it’s not a sickness. It’s just that her spine is… the wrong shape.
The canals of the city are a godsend. They allow her to get anywhere while sitting down in a boat, without having to walk or put pressure on her legs.
But getting places isn’t the end-all-be-all. She still has to be there and do things and some days it’s just too much. Even leisure activities become a chore.
Then she meets Katara.
Yue’s ailment is not widely known, but she confides in Katara, who is smart and resourceful and an all around lovely person.
When she talks to Katara, she feels listened to and understood.
Yue didn’t expect anything to come from the talk, apart from friendly reassurances and maybe some validation, but Katara is nothing if not surprising. She confirms that Yue’s problems are only with standing, not with sitting, and comes up with a genius plan:
Whenever possible - and I mean whenever - Katara uses her water bending to create an ice chair for Yue to sit down on.
Standing in front of a stand while deciding what you want to buy? Chair.
Standing in front of an ice sculpture, admiring it? Chair.
Just standing around for a few moments, waiting for their friends to arrive? You guessed it: chair.
At first Yue thinks it’s silly and over the top, and is kinda afraid of how people will react, but most people just don’t say anything and it really really helps with the pain.
Outings stop being a chore and Yue re-discovers her genuine joy in “doing an activity” – especially if Katara is at her side.
One day, she ends up spending an entire day out in the city with Katara, and when she gets home and realizes she isn’t in pain, she breaks out into tears of joy. It’s such a weird and alien feeling to her, akin to a loud and constant noise suddenly stopping.
The proverbial silence is ringing in her ears.
She can’t remember the last time she felt this good.